The South Bend, Indiana police union is accusing the city’s mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg of making decisions on an officer-involved fatal shooting “solely for his political gain.”

The charge from the South Bend Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #36 comes as Buttigieg – who’s soared from a long-shot to a top-tier contender for the Democratic nomination – is facing the first serious test of his presidential campaign.

The union spoke out on Monday night after Buttigieg supported a call for a special prosecutor to investigate the fatal shooting June 16 of a black man by a white police officer. Their move also comes after Buttigieg said he would contact the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to request an independent investigation.

In a blistering statement on Monday night, the union claimed that “Mayor Buttigieg’s focus on this incident is solely for his political gain and not the health of the city he serves.”

“Mayor Buttigieg’s comments have already and will continue to have a detrimental effect on local law enforcement offices and law enforcement officers nationwide. Mayor Buttigieg’s comments and actions are driving a wedge between law enforcement officers and the community they took an oath to serve.” – READ MORE